Diocese told its safeguarding practice ‘requires attention’

The Diocese of Middlesbrough has been told its safeguarding practice “requires attention” after an inspection and report by the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency.

Middlesbrough was given a grading of five, two above the lowest possible grade of seven.

While the inspection found the diocese was working towards the eight national safeguarding standards, there were notable gaps and inconsistencies in how it works to keeps people safe, such as in leadership and engaging survivors.

The diocese is currently being administered by Bishop of Leeds Marcus Stock, along with Hallam diocese. In a pastoral letter last month, Bishop Stock said he had been asked by Pope Leo XIV to begin “a phase of study and discussion” with a view to the “possible future union” of all three dioceses.

Middlesbrough has now been told by the CSSA that it kust do a formal review of safeguarding governance in the next three months, get feedback about safeguarding from survivors and others within six months and set up a programme which evaluates safeguarding compliance and effectiveness in parishes within a year.

Paul Threlfall, quality assurance manager, of CSSA, said: “These results show that Middlesbrough needs to improve its safeguarding practice in certain areas, including developing an overarching framework, and in safeguarding governance. There is evidence of a positive safeguarding culture, and this must now be built on. Only this way can they assure a wider public that everything possible is being done to help prevent harm. We will keep monitoring.”

The CSSA also published a report today into the Archdiocese of Birmingham, which it found to be “exceeding expectations”, the third highest out of the seven possible grades.

Among other measures, Birmingham has been told to provide trauma-informed training for senior clergy and others.

Threlfall told The Tablet, referring to Middlesbrough, “The main issues that we outline in the report is that we were satisfied that there was a good culture of safeguarding in Middlesbrough in terms of everyone effectively wanting to do the right thing. They were happy to work with the safeguarding team and saw the need for safeguarding within the diocese and the work of the safeguarding team.”

He said issues included an “insufficiently robust” governance framework for safeguarding. “So while the people on the ground had the knowledge and ability to do the job, there wasn’t the framework around them to make sure that it was done and that there was proper oversight of it by the diocese.” 

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